Apparatus for acrobats



Jan. 8', 1924.

T. J. PATT APPARATUS FOR ACROBATS Fil ed Sept. 10. 1921 Patented Jan. 8, 1924.

UNITED STATES TONY J. PATT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

APPARATUS FOR ACROBATS.

Application filed September 10, 1921.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, TONY J. PATT, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented ceitain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Acrobats, of which the following is a specification. I

This invention relates to apparatus for acrobats use and has for its object producing a particular effect or trick when used for acrobatic purposes. The principal operation with the apparatus consists of the principal performer, while suspended by his toes, supporting by means of his teeth an assistant who is thus suspended horizontally by her belt, and as the assistant is rotated in one direction by the principal performer the principal is rotated in the opposite direction by the apparatus as both performers move downwardly.

Of the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is an elevation more or less diagrammaticof the apparatus which embodies the features of my invention; F ig. 2 is an enlarged elevation mainly in section, of the lower p0rtion of the prinicipal apparatus shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional elevation of the upper portion of the principal apparatus at to Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 4: is an enlarged detail View of a plunger of the apparatus; and Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional View along the line 55 ofv Fig. 1.

The apparatus in general consists of a tube 5 which supports, in a manner hereinafter described, fork pieces 6 to which the principal performer hangs byhis toes and heels when performing the trick. The upper end of the tube 5 is supported by means of a ring 7 and a cable 8 and various guy-cables 9, the ring? being connected to the tube 5 by a pulley frame 40. A crosspiece. 10, fixed to the upper end of the tube 5, encloses the lower guy-cables 9 and prevents atv all times rotation of the tube 5. A carrier 11 is mounted. on rollers 12 on one of the guyoables 9 and supports a seat 13 in which the assistant performer sits as she is pulled upwardly by means of a rope 14, fixed to the carrier 11 and passing upwardly through the .crosspiece 1 0 and between pulleys 15 to any suitable elevating, apparatus.

' When the trickis being performed the principal performer, by any suitable means,

f suspends himself on the fork 6 by his toes Serial No. 499,761.

and heels, and the assistant is then drawn upward on the carrier until sheis within reach of the principal. She is provided with a belt and a suitable swiveled strap attached thereto, and the principal, by means of this belt and strap, lifts the assistant from the seat and suspends her horizontally by clasping the free end of the strap between his teeth. The principal performer then, with the assistant suspended horizontally, ro-

tates the assistant on the strap as an axis,

and, while she is thus rotating in one direc tion, both performers, by means of the apparatus hereinafter described, are lowered and at the same time the principal performer is rotated in the opposite direction, thus causing the assistant to be rotated horizontally in one direction andthe principal tovbe rotated vertically in the opposite direction. I

The apparatus, by means of which the'performers are lowered, and the principal performer is rotated, comprises a tube 16 slidably mounted in the tube 5, and supporting on its lower end, the fork 6 upon which is to be suspended'the principal performer. The tube 16 has a spiral flange 17 extending from one end to theother and encircling the tube 16 as many times as may be desired. Fixed to the lower end of the tube 5 is a collar 18 through which the tube 16 passes, and in this there is a spiral groove 19 through which passes the spiral flange 17. By meanshereinafter described the tube 16, supporting the performers,is allowed to move downwardly and in doing so it is rotated by means. of the spiral flange 1'7 passing along the groove 19, it being under- 'jects a pin 21 which is slidably mounted on a collar 55 fixedto the lower end of the tube 16. The pin 21 isnormally held resiliently upward by means of a spring 22. VVh'en this pin is in the slot 20 rotation of :the tube 16 is prevented, and hence the flange .17- and slot 19 will prevent the tube 16 from passing downwardly." But, while the operaon one or both of the arms 23, and this will force downwardly the pin 21' out of the slet by means of levers 24 pivoted in their central portions to the lower endofvthefltube 16. One end of each of these levers is fixed to the rod 23, and each of the other ends is pivoted, by means of links, 25, to a rod 26 fixed to the pin By this arrangement,

when the. rod 2.3 is pushed upwardly, the

pin 21 will be forcedrlownwardly out of the slot 20, and the tube 16' will sink and rotate, carrying with it the performers.

In order to prevent the tube 16 from sink ing too rapidly I'provide within the tube a plunger 27' which is fixedto the'lower end of a rod 28, the upper end of the rod 28 being fixed by means of a bolt 29' and a bracket 30 to the upperend of they tube 5. The tube 16 is closed at its lower end and is filled withsome suitable liquid such-as oil.: A packing box 31 prevents leakage-of the, oil at the upper end as the tube. 16.ro tates and passes downwardly. When the trick is to be performed the plunger 27 is in the lower end 'ofdthe tube 165 andthe Oilc ntainedin the tube 16 will be substantially all above the plunger- The plunger 2?,is hollow. but has openings 32 at its lowerend and an opening 33 at its upper end. The opening 33 is normally closed by a valve '34'which'is slidably mounted'on the rod 23 andis forced down against the plunger 27' by the oil when thetube16 is about to sink,'thus;closing the opening 33 and forcing the oil to pass through an adjustable opening 35: in the valve. 34.

By a consideration ofthis apparatus it will be seen that, when the pin 21 is, released by the performerfrom thefslot 26, the tube 16 will be forced downwardly bythe performers weight, and the performers, with the tube 16, will move slowly down; wardly as the plunger 27' passes upwardly through the oil, which passes through the opening 35 of the valve. Therateatw'hich the performers move downwardly depends upon the size of the .opening' 35 which may be adjustedby a screw-valve 36r When the tube 16 is pulled upwardly in the tube 5, in the manner hereinafter described, the valve 34 is forced away from the upper end of the plunger27, and the oil passes freely around the valve, as its diameter is somewhat less than the innerdiai neter of the tube 16.

'Inorder to again telesQODehe .tubes5 and16. to repeatthe trick, I, provide a strap 37, the upper end of which is. fixed to-an elevating cable 38 which passesbetweenpulleys 39 in the frame 40. Theupper enc of the strap ,is, also, fixedto a ball bearing swivel 41, and the lower end isfixed to a flanged collar 42 rotatably mounted on the former continuously upper end of the tube 16; In order to'prevent rotation of collar 42and thus twisting ofthe cable 38, as the tube 16 sinks and rotates, I: provide aslot 43 in the fiange of the collar 42 and mount in the tube 5 a rod 44;extending substantially the full length of the tube 5 and fixed thereto. This rod prevents rotation of the collar 42 and hence prevents twisting of the cable 38. The ball bearing swivel 41 is providedso as to reduce the, force required to pull the tube 16 upwardly as it"rotates. The i-nner'portion of the ball bearing is fixed to the tube 16 by means of the packing-box 31.

The crosspiece 10 comprises; main bars 46 which are fixedto the tube 5 by means: of brackets 47 which are fixed to a split collar 48. The two members of the collar 48are fixed to the tube 5 by means of the bolt 29,

and bolts 49 press the members firmly against the tube 5. Collars 50 separate the outer ends of the bars 46, and the guycables pass'between the outer ends of the bars and the collars 50. An additional passageway for cables is formedon each end of the crosspiece 10 by means of straps 51 and collars 52'. The two ends ofthe crosspiece are substantially similar: I

- While I have described" with much 'particularity many of the detailsofthe apparatus'by means of which the trick maybe performed, it is to be understood that 'modii fication in the apparatus may be made by those familiar with the art'without departing from the spirit of my inventi'onas disclosed by the followingvclaims.

I claim as my invention:

L'A trick apparatuscomprising means for suspending a performer, 'means' .for lowering the suspending means, and means operated by the said lo'wering'means for rotating the suspending means around a vertical axis, said lowering and rotating means coacting to produce rotation of the perproportional to the lowering thereof. A

2. Acrobatic apparatus comprising means for suspending a performer by his feet,

means for lowering said'performer, means tube, and means for rotatingsaid inner tube as it is forced downwardly. bythe performer.

4. Trick apparatus comprising a' vertically suspended stationary tube, an inner tube slidably mounted in said stationary tube, means for retarding the downward movement of said inner tube when otherwise free to move downwardly, said means comprising a plunger in said inner tube, and means connecting said plunger with the upper end of said stationary tube.

5, Trick apparatus comprising a vertically suspended stationary tube, an inner tube slidably mounted in said stationary tube, means for retarding the downward movement of said inner tube when otherwise free to move downwardly, said means comprising a plunger in said inner tube, and means connecting said plunger with the upper end of said stationary tube, said inner tube containing a liquid.

6. Trick apparatus comprising a verti-v cally suspended tube, an inner tube slidably and rotatably mounted in said suspended tube, means for rotating said inner tube as it is moved longitudinally in said suspended tube, said means comprising a spiral flange fixed to said inner tube, and said suspended cally suspended tube,

tube having a groove in its lower end into which said flange passes.

7. Trick apparatus comprising a vertian inner tube slidably and rotatably mounted in said suspended tube, means for rotating said inner tube as it is moved longitudinally in said suspended tube, and a cable fixed to the upper end of said inner tube for pulling the inner tube upwardly.

8. Trick apparatus comprising a vertically suspended tube, an inner tube slidably and rotatably mounted in said suspended tube, means for rotating said inner tube as it is moved longitudinally in said suspended tube, a cable fixed to the upper end of said inner tube for pulling the inner tube upwardly, and means for preventing the twisting of said cable when the inner tube is rotating.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto set my hand.

TONY J. PATT. 

